In the summer of 2006 the day I got my A-License was the day my canopy collapsed. People on the ground thought I got into a dust devil that had just come up in the Perris student area. My canopy collapsed from 30 feet or so. I remember falling clearly, going onto my back, losing my breath and the ambulance ride to the Riverside Hospital trauma center. I got lucky with just a cracked vertebrae and no other ill effects except for the pain and back brace plus bruised tail bone in the short term and very rarely, a shooting pain through my back if I sneeze and am in a certain position But that is rare.

I never saw it to avoid it. I went back to skydiving six weeks later here in Ohio once the new neurosurgeon cleared me. I was 35 when it happened. I only jumped for a couple weeks before quitting for financial reasons. Still miss the sport and keep up with it here.